First off, I appreciate that Tascam still bothers to make Hardware multitrack recorders at all! They can be immensely helpful for a songwriting and demo production workflow.
In researching which multi track system to buy, I looked extensively into the portable Tascam line, as well as the zoom line of portable multi track recorders. I already have a Tascam dr-40 which I feel very happy having for recording live performances and notes and ideas. It has fantastic mix of quality and options, but it's multitrack ability amounts to basically a two-track recorder, with one track record and one playback. This requires a mixdown (aka, "bounce") for each new track. For my actual song demo workflow, I find it much easier to have more than two tracks of simultaneous playback! Secondly, in the course of putting together a demo song, it is much easier to be able to queue and record on a different track at a specific point in a song. On the dr-40, however, you must play each take all the way through from the beginning. This has its benefits, don't get me wrong. It really forces you to get your stuff together, and really know your song inside and out. But it can also make putting together a quality demo much more tedious and stressful. If the dr-40 allowed me to separate out the two stereo tracks into two mono tracks or even one mono and one stereo track, and it allowed me to record from a queued position, then it would fit all of my needs. But it doesn't so here I am...
While I appreciate zooms transparent WAV file recording, in studying their user manuals, I have found them incredibly tedious and confusing to operate due to a lack of dedicated controls. I record only with real instruments, so the extra features of the zoom and boss recorders do not appeal to me, and quite frankly they give the units a complexity that leaves me feeling anxious. That basically left me with the Tascam units as the most Hardware Direct option.
In looking at the Tascam line, I considered this unit, the dp-006 as well as its larger siblings, the dp-008ex and the dp-03sd. I ended up going with the dp-006 for the following reasons:
First, all three recorders have microphones based on the portable Dr recorder line of microphones, who's sound quality is actually very good. However, microphone placement is one of the most important factors in getting a good recording. More important than the type of mic and the quality of the preamps, Etc. The only things more important are the environment, and the Sound Source itself, which basically amounts to a quality performance and composition. Confusingly, neither the dp-008ex nor the dp-03sd have a tripod mounting option like the dp-006! This sabotages our capacity to maximize recording quality through appropriate mic placement. The dp-008ex and the dp-03sd each have built-in microphone preamps, which you will need to make use of in order to get anything in the way of decent microphone placement. While the dp-006 does not have a built-in microphone preamp, you can use its internal microphones to maximum effect. More microphones means more gear and more complexity in the setup, which creates more inhibition in the workflow. If needed, we can always add an outboard mixer feeding the dp-006 to use external mics.
Second, the dp-006 gets much better battery life then its larger sibling. It has a much more portable footprint. This means I am more likely to keep it with me and to actually use it to its fullest potential! The dp-03sd requires AC power, which drastically limits it's use as a portable device and further limits the potential to use its internal microphones fully. The dp-03sd is honestly probably too large to consider any serious placement of its internal microphones by providing a tripod mounting option, and so internal mics do not make sense for it. The dp-008ex badly needs the same tripod thread mount that the dp-006 has!
Third, when recording solo I like having the option of remote control. Interestingly, the dp-008ex and the dp-03sd use different footswitch options. The former uses a standard quarter-inch Jack single-function footswitch, while the latter uses Tascams RC 3F footswitch, which I already have. In the end, however, I decided that no footswitch and better mic placement was far more important. On that note, good mic placement usually leaves the recorder within relatively easy working distance for me, practically eliminating the need for a foot switch in the first place.
Fourth, and Final, the dp-006 does not have any effects or EQ on board. It has only level and pan controls, which are easily the most important controls we need to determine the potential of a good mix. After that, we have EQ, and then after that we have effects. It confuses me that the dp-008ex and the dp-03sd dedicate a precious Hardware control to a Reverb send! Their EQ section while admirable for a few rough tweaks, does not provide sufficient options for doing any serious mixing. I feel it provides a dangerous distraction. The dp008ex and the dp03sd would be much better served by replacing the dedicated Reverb knob with a dedicated assignable EQ knob for a flexible EQ section, with an easy reverb or effects and even EQ bypass switch to hear the all-important dry signal. The dp-006, in foregoing both EQ and Reverb or other effects such as compression, really requires and allows us to focus on getting good quality recording takes from the start, focusing on mic placement, recording environment which we have much more flexibility over due to the portability of the DP-006, and in the end, more focus on the performance and the composition. We can then export all the finished tracks to a digital audio Workstation for much more powerful EQ and other effects processing. Although ironically, really good takes need a lot less in the way of complex post production work!
Although having only six tracks versus eight seems Limited, it is actually even more limited than that, because it is basically a four track recorder with two stereo tracks that can be assigned as mono tracks. This gives the possible configurations of four mono tracks, 3 mono tracks and one stereo track, or two Mono tracks and two stereo tracks. This provides a huge upgrade to me over the extremely limited two track recording of the otherwise fantastic dr-40 portable recorder.
If anyone thinks that this unit is too limited, I strongly recommend that they read the "applications" section on the Tascam dp-006 product website. It provides a fantastic example of a usage scenario and workflow that captures the full potential of this little portable recording studio! If Tascam ever made an 8-track version of this device that also allowed control with their rc3f footswitch then I would pounce on it like Tigger from Winnie the Pooh!
This could be an incredible unit if they also allowed 24-bit recording and had dedicated left/mono and right line outs for outboard effects and/or EQ.
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